This is the next chapter for Children of Artemis, I'm not quite sure when chapter 7 will be posted since IRL has gotten a bit busy but I'm hoping it will be posted soon. I would like to thank Imaginexwriter9 for helping me with editing this chapter and helping me write Seth true to his character
Chapter 6 - Reading Begins: A Typical Beginning
Seth opened the book to the first page and took a breath.
Chapter 1: A Typical Beginning
The auburn-haired demigod was interrupted by the tell-tale flash of light that signaled the arrival of another note. The interruption caused the silver-eyed boy to twitch in slight annoyance, though internally he was grateful for a reason to delay reading his story.
The occupants of the room turned to look at where the flash originated. Zeus looked especially annoyed, after all, the sooner they started reading, the sooner these demigods could return to their own times.
Artemis glared at the small piece of paper before her in confusion before picking it up and glancing at her father for permission to read.
Zeus inclined his head a fraction of a degree. "Read it to yourself first, then summarize it for us."
The huntress nodded, quickly reading through the letter and rolling her eyes when she finished. Turning to Zeus, she gave a summary of the letter from her future self. "Our future selves are sending a television. They believe the demigods, and some gods-" she glanced at Ares, Apollo, and Hermes. "-will grow bored of the stories, otherwise."
Seth glared at the book in his hands while gritting his teeth. Not only did they have to read his story, his thoughts, but they also had to watch his past now too. Could this get any worse?
Armani let out an annoyed sigh from beside the eldest child of Artemis. That meant that his story would also be playing on the TV that the future gods were sending. Everyone in the room wouldn't just be hearing about his embarrassing moments (like the kiss he received from a certain love goddess), they would be seeing them too. This was just spiffy.
Luna clicked her tongue in aggravation. So having outsiders listen to some of her more painful memories wasn't good enough? They had to watch them too? The rational part of Luna's brain reminded her that her version of Artemis wouldn't do this, especially not with what will be said in the first book. Luna glanced off to the side in confusion. Was the first book covering the start of her Camp Half-Blood life? Or did it cover her life before she went to live with the Jacksons?
Cassie shifted uncomfortably, she didn't know what exactly was covered in Luna's books, but she did know that it involved all six girls present…..did it include...him...? After all, Luna's first quest was….Cassie shook her head. She certainly had gotten better since she arrived at camp and moved in with her brother...Hades rest his soul...she should hopefully be able to handle it. She would have gotten more upset about this, but the future versions of the gods that weren't from her timeline wouldn't have known….the other versions of her mother couldn't have known what this meant.
Alessa and Dove shared a worried look before turning to look at Cassie and Luna. Two certain goddesses may not be happy with them when their book is read.
"It could be worse." Percy said to the three children of Artemis. "They could have made you re-feel every injury that appears in the books."
The demigods stared at the son of Poseidon in disbelief. Did he really just tempt the fates?
Another flash filled the room and Seth and Armani shot Percy a glare while Luna collapsed against her seat with a groan.
"Percy," Seth warned.
"Next time you want to start a sentence with 'At least', 'as long as', 'it could be worse', or anything like that..." Armani continued.
"...for the gods' sake- don't." Luna finished.
Most of the Olympians show varied signs of amusement after hearing the children of Artemis' unplanned warning. Others, like Dionysus and Artemis, didn't react at all. In contrast, Apollo and Hermes even fell out of their seats laughing.
Seth blinked in shock at the two gods on the floor. Shouldn't divine beings have more self-restraint than this?
"If the two of you are done," Hera said, unamused as she shot a stern look at the two gods.
"S-sorry, sorry," Apollo said with a chuckle as he got off the floor.
"We'll behave," Hermes followed, sitting back on his seat.
Travis leaned over to Will, his eyes following his dad's movements. "Is it just me or was it not that funny?"
Will was trying his best to not look at his father. "It really wasn't."
Meanwhile, Connor turned to Katie in confusion. "When did those three get close enough to finish each other's sentences?"
"Probably just a one-time thing," Katie responded with a shrug.
Aphrodite plucked the note out of the air in front of her and read it over once, her eyes widening slightly. Turning to the demigods, she summarized what it said, "Actually, Apollo and Hermes from timeline one did want you demigods to feel the pain from the injuries, as a sort of payment for learning this information in advance."
Seth grumbled in response, of course it was an option. The gods just loved to torment demigods, didn't they?
Armani paled at that information, which meant that he would need to feel the pain from the tear again. Luna glared at said gods after hearing that information but Apollo and Hermes just rolled their eyes at her.
"However, it states that several gods from the other timelines are vehemently-!"
"That's a big word for you," Artemis rudely interrupted, causing Aphrodite to stop and glare at her. The huntress glared back just as fiercely and Dove glared at Artemis. Luna noticed the glare from the blonde demigod and Cassie and Alessa moved forward so Luna could smack Dove in the back of her head. Dove moved her glare to Luna.
Aphrodite, who didn't notice the interaction between the demigods, felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation before she continued, refusing to let Artemis get to her, "...refused to let that happen." A sickly sweet smile morphed on Aphrodite's face. "Strangely enough, the future Artemis from timelines two, three, and four were the most vocal about the matter."
Learning this, Seth was silent, his gaze contemplative while Armani and Luna both nodded in satisfaction.
"I wonder why that was," Aphrodite murmured.
Artemis' face seemed frozen in a mixture of confusion and fear, her eyes flickering across the floor as a hollow feeling bloomed in her stomach.
Zeus seemed interested in this matter as well, glaring at his daughter and opening his mouth to speak when Athena spoke up first.
"Perhaps if we can start reading this book, then we will find out," the goddess of wisdom said, looking slightly annoyed. Several of these demigods were a complete mystery to her, and the key to solving this mystery was in the same room as her, and she couldn't get to it. She hated when information was kept from her, and if she was able to, she would have read through each of the books by now. Athena turned to Seth with a stern look, her tone short and clipped. "Is there a summary in the back?"
Seth turned the book over and noticed a short summary. "There is," he confirmed.
"Read it," Athena demanded.
Seth hesitated after first reading the summary to himself. There was no way in Hades that he could read this to the group assembled before him. It flat out revealed who his godly parent was.
"Aloud," Athena stressed with narrowed eyes.
Seth gulped slightly, perhaps he could get away with altering it so it omitted a certain fact? Closing his eyes and taking a calming breath, Seth began to read:
Ever since the so-called 'fire' destroyed his only home and family...
The demigods seemed saddened after hearing this bit of information. The group from timeline one were lucky, none of their parents were dead. But they knew several campers (some from their own cabins) whose mortal parents were killed before they were sent to camp or even had parents who were killed because of the godly world.
Hestia, Demeter, and even Hera seemed to regard the auburn-haired demigod sadly. Aphrodite also seemed saddened by this news. Seth clenched his jaw tightly at the sight, lest he said some things he'd regret later.
Seth Hunter has held a deep hatred against the goddess who caused it all: the one and only-
Seth stopped abruptly and stared skeptically at the surrounding deities who had various looks on their faces. Zeus, Hera, and Artemis had glares directed at Seth while Hades, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Ares, and Aphrodite didn't seem to care. Hestia seemed saddened that one of her kin would kill innocent mortals while Demeter, Poseidon, Apollo, Hermes, Athena and Persephone were waiting for Seth to continue.
With a sigh, Seth obliged.
Artemis.
Said goddess' glare turned icy as she looked at Seth, Zoe holding a similar look on her face and the two daughters of Aphrodite seemed to not be able to decide between being confused, angry, or sad. Apollo, however, shouted in indignation.
"How could you hate my little sis!"
The huntress turned her glare towards her brother, she absolutely loathed when he called her that. In fact she should shoot him with an arrow right now. If not for that stupid oath she would shoot the demigod before her as well, but for some reason (that pissed her off even more), she also felt saddened by what Seth just read and that confusion just added to her anger.
"Is there more?" Athena asked, pleased by at least some information regarding this demigod.
Seth paused slightly before nodding, how would he alter this next bit of information?
Who unknowingly…holds information that will change his life forever.
Zeus looked warily at Artemis for a minute. Artemis met her father's gaze with her hand back over her lips and a slight panicked look hidden behind the anger in her eyes. Hera also turned to Artemis with a raised eyebrow but quickly turned away with a roll of her eyes.
She didn't want to know.
Another bigger flash appeared in the middle of the circle of gods and demigods. Six large flat-screen TVs appeared in a hexagonal formation, facing the participants of the reading.
The lord of the sky turned back to Seth. "If you would start reading."
Seth recognized the fact that it wasn't a question and nodded once. "Yes, Lord Zeus."
"So much for delaying the reading."
Chapter 1: A Typical Beginning
"You already read that," Ares said with irritation.
Seth tilted his head in aggravation but didn't respond.
(The TV turned on and showed a snow-covered forest-like area, the camera zooming through the trees as Seth read.)
There were times when I wished everything was just a nightmare.
"Don't we all," Dove sighed.
It would make things less painful, an assurance even, that no matter how bad things were or appeared to be, they only needed to suddenly wake up, and discover that everything was just the way it was.
Percy, Thalia, Cassie, and Katie all sighed in bliss while Luna, Dove, and Annabeth nodded.
Charlotte had tears form in her eyes and Nicole pulled her close into a hug. Aphrodite looked pained that she couldn't go comfort her daughter- the girl wouldn't want her to.
"They don't even know the half of it," Seth thought bitterly.
"Which is why we're in this mess in the first place. Keep going," the entity in his head urged.
They would probably shrug off the horrid images, forget about it completely, and continue their daily morning routine. Just like a normal kid.
Armani scoffed. Normal. This world they lived in was insane. Everyone was mad….daffy….looney. He seemed to be the only sane one left….maybe Seth and Luna were also some of the only sane ones?
How I wished that were true: the nightmares…and the normalcy.
"Hear hear!" Travis nodded, raising his hand in a mock toast. Katie elbowed the oldest Stoll in the ribs.
It was only a few months ago that I realized I wasn't exactly what most people would define as normal.
"Pfft." Connor snorted while waving his hand. "Normals are no fun."
Travis nodded in agreement. "Join the insanity!" The older Stoll suddenly formed his fingers into a pyramid-like shape and leaned closer to Seth, a nefarious look on his face. "We have cookies~"
Hera looked at both boys in unamusement while Hermes and Apollo chuckled and nodded in agreement.
Unless being able to see monsters that other people didn't notice was part of being normal-
"Yes, yes, it is," Ashlynn said matter-of-factly.
-then, by all means, I would be one of those "abnormal" kids.
My name is Seth Hunter.
"You've said that already, Steven," Dionysus drawled with a roll of his eyes.
Seth glared at the wine god and for some reason, Artemis felt indignation at Dionysus getting Seth's name wrong. What was wrong with her today? Why did she care?
I'm 13 years old and was an ongoing resident at St. Clair's Orphanage-
(The camera panned upwards and revealed a large three-story, red-brick building, with arched windows covered in snow and holiday lights. There were Christmas decorations littered all over the vast front lawn.)
Armani shot a look of understanding at Seth as well as holding back a grimace. In a way perhaps Armani should consider himself lucky that the tear started acting up when he was five. Because Apollo took him into his custody, he was able to leave the orphanage he lived in at an early age.
Luna shifted awkwardly in her seat. Would she have gone to an orphanage if things played out differently? Her face contorted in disgust when Luna realized she ought to be grateful to that pig that was Aunt Sally's first husband.
Her right side of her waist throbbed at the thought of that piece of trash.
Unfortunately, Seth happened to notice Luna's brief look of disgust, mistook that look to be directed at him, and struggled to hold back his contempt. While it's true that living in an orphanage wasn't the most ideal childhood, St. Clair's was still a place he and his family called home. This wasn't the first time someone looked down on him for being an orphan, but Seth certainly didn't expect Luna, his 'half-sister', to be one of them. How…disappointing.
Seth swallowed back his anger, his mood souring as he forcibly turned his attention back to his book and continued in a rougher tone.
….located in an isolated forest area near Brooklyn, New York. According to what they told me, I showed up on their doorstep when I was around 3 months old...
Hestia stared sadly at Seth while several gods looked confused. Their first thought was: Why didn't he live with his mortal parent?
A similar thought went around the group of demigods before a second reason emerged: Did Seth's mortal parent die when he was born? Or did the mortal abandon him?
Artemis was thinking up a different reason, however, and this thought caused her worries to grow even more.
...lying in a basket with only a blanket and a slip of paper that indicated my name and age.
"You were abandoned?" Annabeth decided to ask. Realistically, if Seth's mortal parent had passed away with no remaining relatives, then the hospital he was born in would first contact social services, who would then make inquiries of any living relatives he had, and finding none, would then send him to an orphanage in that order. However, if he was found lying in a basket with a piece of paper then he would have had to have been abandoned by his mortal parent or family.
"Not exactly," Seth began, "but seeing where this story is starting from...you'll find out soon enough."
The daughter of Athena nodded in understanding, but Annabeth's curiosity had angered the gods, particularly the ones with children. The thought that a mortal would abandon a child of godly lineage was insulting. However, if a child's mortal parent died before they could raise them, the godly parent was expected to bring their demigod child to an orphanage, but that was a rare occurrence.
There were also the Ancient Laws to consider- even if the godly parent wanted to step in and raise the demigod themselves, they were not allowed to interfere more than absolutely necessary. There were also cases where the god or goddess in question had too many children, and couldn't keep track of them all.
Just like your practical Harry Potter story. Only without the obnoxious relatives, the magic, owl deliveries, and whatnots.
As far as I could tell, no one was going to adopt me.
Armani sent an understanding look to Seth, he was young when he was taken in by Apollo, but he knew how difficult it was for kids with disabilities to get adopted.
Hestia, the goddess who was the most concerned about the demigods, sent a concerned look towards Seth.
"Why not?" Apollo asked Seth, who frowned at his question, and responded by simply reading the next part:
It was already rare enough to even have potential adopters come to this unknown part of New York, and it was even rarer to find anyone interested in an ADHD and dyslexic kid.
Apollo gave an uneasy grimace. "I see…"
(The camera panned up the side of the building, stopping briefly at a window where you could see children running in the hallway and through rooms before continuing further up the building to the confusion of everyone in the room.)
"Why didn't the camera go into the building?" Katie asked Clarisse who just grunted in confusion.
(The scene continued with the camera reaching the roof of the building, where a younger Seth was sitting by the edge with his knees to his chest staring up at the sky.)
"Hey," Dove spoke up in confusion, turning to look at Luna. "Didn't Annabeth say that while you were in Japan, she would normally find you on the roof?"
Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia turned around to hear the conversation better as Luna only shrugged.
Maybe.
The three demigods from timeline one seemed to be confused, but Annabeth seemed a little starry-eyed at the thought of traveling the world.
"I went with you to Japan?" Annabeth asked Luna who suddenly seemed uncomfortable.
"Y-yeah, but it wasn't a leisure trip..." Luna answered awkwardly.
Thalia narrowed her eyes at the silver-eyed girl. "What exactly was it for then?"
Percy seemed confused but looked at Luna skeptically, he wasn't sure why, but he had a bad feeling about what Luna said.
"U-Umm," Luna trailed off as she fidgeted in her seat. "I-it's probably gonna be a while yet before we read about it."
Seth struggled to keep a neutral expression. First, Luna had the gall to look down on his origins, and now she's teasing bits of her adventures while his story is being read? Couldn't they wait to discuss it after he's done reading or during a break? The amount of discourtesy he was being given was enough to make him lose his patience.
"Are you done?" Seth said coldly, his silver eyes narrowing at Luna, who flinched at his tone. "Or do you prefer we all go ahead with your book and leave mine for last? I certainly do not mind, especially seeing how you all struggle to...keep to yourselves," he added narrowly while glancing at Dove and Ashlynn in turn before turning to Luna once more.
Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia looked at the auburn-haired boy in confusion. Did something happen to make him upset?
"Sorry, Seth." Percy said with an apologetic smile.
Annabeth and Thalia shared a look before turning back to the auburn-haired boy and nodding with matching awkward smiles.
"Yeah, we didn't mean to get off-topic." Thalia added.
"Sorry," Annabeth said simply.
Luna flinched at the tone before schooling her face and sending a blank look at the oldest child of the huntress, her eyes steely- like a perfect replica of the goddess four seats away from her and that seemed to aggravate Seth even more.
Aphrodite noticed the look on Luna's face and her eyes widened with a gasp. Hephaestus and Ares looked at the goddess in concern before seeing a huge grin appear on her face as she tried to hold back a sequel. Artemis narrowed her eyes at Aphrodite who just looked back at her like the cat that caught the canary.
'That cannot be good.' The huntress thought with a slight shiver.
"We were told to only keep our parentages, familial lives, and less than ideal godly encounters secret," Luna replied darkly, tilting her head to the side and regarding Seth coldly. "Our experiences and trials are free game to talk about as long as we are comfortable talking about it."
Hestia regarded the two demigods worriedly, should she intervene? Hera raised an eyebrow at the exchange and Hermes and Apollo shrugged, taking this break as a moment to talk about some club or something.
Artemis glanced briefly between the two demigods in disapproval, her eyes as steely as Luna's, the two demigods should be better behaved around the presence of the gods. The huntress turned back to her hunters, her eyes softening, her lieutenant and the two younger girls were far more respectful and behaved in the presence of the deities.
Seth and Luna seemed to be caught in a standoff, neither of them blinking and just glaring at each other. Armani looked at his two siblings wondering if he should attempt to remind Seth about his reading or try to let them resolve whatever bad blood they apparently had.
"Hey, guys-!" Armani started but was cut off by his sister.
"Just because you aren't comfortable sharing details about your life outside of these books, doesn't mean the rest of us are," Luna said, narrowing her eyes further and analyzing Seth's face before growling, "and just because you don't feel comfortable with my presence, doesn't mean that you can take it out on my family."
Seth looked offended by her accusation, and replied, "I wasn't taking it out on your family. If it seemed that way, then I apologize," he said softly, looking at the girls beside Luna. "It was not my intention. Since the note says that I'm supposed to go first - I'd rather get this...reading out of the way as soon as possible," Seth glanced at the irritating TV that was still paused on his younger self on the roof, before looking back at Luna, who got the hint. No one was fond of having their past broadcasted like this.
"So, if you do not mind," Seth said while gritting his teeth, "could you all at least give me the courtesy of letting me read uninterrupted? I don't care if you want to share about your lives and whatever experiences and trials you've had among each other, but at least try to keep it down or wait till it's time for a break. I know this is...selfish of me to ask, but I promise to offer you the same courtesy when your books are read."
There was a moment of silence as Luna considered Seth's request, which made the latter nervous. Everyone else seemed to fidget uncomfortably from the tense atmosphere until Luna finally answered.
"Sure," Luna decided, "it's your story we're reading. It's only fair for the main character to have some say, right?" She briefly glanced at each of her companions, who nodded back in affirmation. Seth almost seemed relieved by her words.
"Thank you," Seth murmured, his gaze purposely lowered and not meeting Luna's eyes.
'He's really uncomfortable around me,' Luna noted.
"I appreciate it," Seth said carefully, "and when Armani's or your story is read, I'll be sure to offer the same courtesy. Whether you prefer to have idle chatter or silence during your readings, I'll be sure to comply."
Armani gave a pat on Seth's shoulder, hoping to break the tense atmosphere. "Come on, don't be so uptight - we get it, okay?" He glanced at Luna, who gave a hesitant nod. "It's not going to be easy having our stories broadcasted like this, so if you don't like something, then don't hesitate to say it."
Seth regarded their half-brother with a light smile, "Thank you for understanding, Armani."
'Understanding...is that what this is about?' Luna thought, frowning at the easy camaraderie between both boys. 'If only Archer were here…'
"Even so," Luna cut in, her silver eyes drifting to the floor. As much as she hated to admit sometimes, she had to acknowledge her disrespectful actions. That was how she was raised. "I was in the wrong for discussing parts of my life while reading your story." Closing her eyes, Luna reluctantly stood and faced Seth, bowing lowly at her waist, "I apologize for my behavior."
Armani looked between his two half-siblings in confusion as Seth blinked in surprise; he certainly wasn't expecting that.
"...you don't need to bow," Seth muttered, turning back to the book with an aggravated sigh.
Luna simply nodded and turned to walk back to her seat, but stopped suddenly when she noticed a small change in the seating arrangement.
"I was sitting there," Luna looked at Dove who simply smiled back innocently. With a sigh, Luna sat in between Dove and Cassie, who both traded a look. While this went on, Seth finally found where he left off:
It was always the little kids, the ones with pretty faces or with a lot of talent, not some troubled kid who spends all his time with nothing better to do than be on the rooftop moon gazing.
The occupants of the room felt confused by this news information. Aphrodite seemed to get even happier as her grin grew, Zeus turned to look at Artemis with a skeptical look, Hera looked at Artemis with a raised eyebrow, Hestia sent a confused look at her niece and Apollo seemed to take on a serious expression.
Yeah, you heard me, moon gazing.
Aphrodite was practically buzzing in her seat, the grin on her face causing her to glow in joy as Athena raised her head slightly, as if hearing a bit of information she already knew, it seems her theory on the demigods' parentage was correct.
The demigods, however, seemed to share looks of apprehension and confusion.
Thalia had her eyes narrowed at Seth, trying to figure him out. His nearly identical appearance to her Lady and this new information all but confirmed who his godly parent is, but it was far too bold of an idea, and it made the daughter of Zeus uncomfortable.
Beside Thalia, Annabeth also regarded Seth carefully. She had a good feeling of his parentage since he showed up. While this new information solidified the idea, it also brought up more concerning questions, like how did the goddess of the hunt have a demigod? Did she break her vow? It was the easier explanation, but that didn't seem likely to her. Maybe...Seth's birth was similar to how she was born? Her mother, Athena, was also a maiden goddess, technically. That could explain Seth and Artemis' similar appearances, but then…
Annabeth glanced at Armani and Luna, whose appearances were vastly different. 'How were they born?'
Dove leaned close to Luna's ear, and whispered, "It seems the two of you share something in common."
"Shut up," Luna hissed back, not in the mood to talk. "I don't want to aggravate him anymore."
Cassie shot a concerned look at Luna before whispering. "You alright?"
Luna just rolled her eyes and whispered back, "I have a feeling things will get a lot easier once Archer shows up."
The dark-haired girl shot a look towards her auburn-haired half-brother. 'Hopefully.'
You're probably thinking: who spends all their time looking at the moon?
"Um...yes, yes I am," Connor nodded with a slightly raised hand.
Artemis raised an eyebrow at the demigod before silently pointing at herself, causing Connor to pale, and Zoe, Charlotte, and Nicole all pointed to themselves as well.
"Occasionally," Armani whispered with a shrug and also pointed to himself.
Luna didn't move, trying to prevent another possible negative interaction with Seth, but Dove and Cassie both grabbed one of her arms and raised them before the silver-eyed girl yanked them free.
Well, that person would be me.
"And like six others in the room," Percy whispered to Nico, who snorted.
It sounded silly and boring and all, but it's really what I enjoyed doing.
Artemis blinked in indignation. Boring? Silly?
Armani tilted his head. Yeah, he could see how it could be considered boring. But if you followed that line of thought, then so could sitting by the shore, watching the tides. As long as it was something you enjoyed, then how could it be boring?
Luna shrugged before looking at the ceiling, watching the moon and stars were a lot less silly than stick-fighting your friends. Besides, sometimes you just needed to collect your thoughts, and watching the night sky seemed to be one of the best times to do so.
There's just this feeling of calmness and ease that seemed to radiate inside me whenever I looked at that big dangling orb in the sky.
Ares snorted. "Big dangling orb."
Apollo stared at Seth in indignation on behalf of his sister, but Artemis didn't take any offense at the remark, after all, that's what the mortals believed the moon to be. The goddess' attention was focused more on the light-hearted feeling in her chest. Why was she happy after hearing that? She should have a better understanding of her emotions! She was a goddess for hades' sake!
It helps me sort out my thoughts, and think more clearly than I would have during the day.
Armani and Luna nodded in agreement.
Before you get any thoughts like a certain somebody-no, I am not, I repeat, NOT a werewolf.
Ashlynn grinned in amusement. "Who called you a werewolf?"
Seth only sighed and pointed at the book in his hands. "Sorry, but please ask me later. I'll answer after this is over."
Ashlynn pouted but nodded dejectedly, she'll just ask again during a break.
Now that we got that boring stuff out of the way, let me give you a glimpse of my once "normal" life.
Ms. Lewinsky was the director of St. Clair's. She was this plump, middle-aged woman with bright blue eyes and wrinkles on her face from smiling too much.
(The camera showed a translucent picture of Ms. Lewinsky reading to some kids.)
Ashlynn's pout disappeared as a confused and apprehensive look appeared on her face, that description sounded similar to her Nan….though the woman on the screen certainly was a different person.
One would describe her as the stereotypical grandmother on Christmas morning, holding a plate of cookies.
(The translucent image of Ms. Lewinsky morphed slightly so the matron of the orphanage was dressed in a Christmas sweater, holding a tray of fresh Christmas cookies out to the viewers.)
"Cookies on Christmas morning." Hermes considered briefly. "I would celebrate Christmas just for that."
Persephone looked at Hermes questionably. "You do realize that Christmas is a mortal holiday celebrating Christianity, don't you?"
"Sometimes Christmas falls on the same week as Hanukkah." Nicole spoke softly, her small voice echoing in the quiet room and causing the deities to turn to her. Aphrodite beamed at her daughter who fidgeted, looking towards her Lady. Artemis nodded in approval, happy that the dark-haired girl was attempting to break out of her shell a little.
Persephone nodded before continuing what she was saying. "Both religions being ones that celebrate and believe in monotheism?"
The mood among the Greek deities soured slightly. After all, it was the Roman Empire's conversion to Christianity that led to the destruction of their temples and their decline in Europe.
Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, it wouldn't hurt to add something small into this conversation. After all, she did hold some extra knowledge on this topic thanks to Archer.
"Actually," Luna began quickly, shooting Seth an apologetic look, who only stared back at her briefly before looking down at his open book. His expression appeared too blank to pass as normal.
Archer owed her for this one. That history nut was fascinated by this topic and would not let her live it down if she didn't take this opportunity.
"Christmas has pagan roots," Luna rushed, keeping her half-brother's request in mind. Seth remained still, not saying a word, and the silence creeped her out a bit….now she understood how her friends felt sometimes. "Most noticeably from the Germanic Yule and Roman Saturnalia." The gods fidgeted at the discussion of a Roman holiday. "It's believed that the Christian missionaries adopted Yule celebrations to appease the Pagans they were trying to convert."
"Why are we discussing the origins of a monotheistic religious holiday!?" Zeus thundered in aggravation causing Luna and Seth to flinch back, Luna's hands covering her ears.
"That lady sounds awesome, though." Travis whispered in awe before turning to Connor with a disappointed look. "I wish Gran made cookies on Christmas morning."
Connor sighed in sadness. "Oh what a wasted opportunity."
Hera looked skeptical before turning to Demeter. "Mortals eat cookies in the morning?"
The goddess of agriculture shook her head. "That doesn't sound healthy. They should have cereal instead."
Hera looked like she was about to say something, but refrained herself and turned back to the screen.
Luna shot an apprehensive and apologetic look towards Seth. "Okay, I'm done now."
"Whatever," Seth mumbled, his tone reticent. He was used to things not going his way, and who was he to demand someone to keep quiet? The gods were already doing plenty of interrupting anyway. The fact that Luna and some of his (not) friends were bothering to entertain his request was already a miracle in and of itself.
Luna sighed in a mixture of relief and dejection. How was she supposed to get to know Seth when their interactions were so one-sided and…awkward? Meeting other children of Artemis sounded fun at the time, having more siblings from her mother instead of just Archer.
But instead of talking, getting to know each other, or bonding, she was stuck in a situation that made that virtually impossible.
Strands of gray hair pulled back in a bun made her once bright-colored hair appear dull, but despite her aging looks, she was in no way considered old, in fact, she was probably the most energetic person I've ever met.
There were times when she would wake up really early to cook a 40 person breakfast, read to the little kids, make lunch, do chores like laundry, cleaning, etc, and then make a large-scale dinner.
(The screen showed small translucent scenes of Ms. Lewinsky doing each of the mentioned tasks.)
"Super Granny," Will whispered to Nico who rolled his eyes.
"Forty-person breakfast," Katie echoed in disbelief. She loved cooking, but sometimes it was difficult just to cook a four-person breakfast. Dinner last night had eight people cooking in the kitchen, four of which were goddesses, so it wasn't too difficult. But a single person cooking forty servings? For each meal daily? Katie couldn't wrap her head around it.
There were also times when she was responsible for homeschooling all of us.
Athena raised an eyebrow, the mortal was responsible for teaching the children herself?
Hera let a small amount of approval show on her face, this mortal..Lewinsky..seemed to be taking her role as caretaker to these children very seriously.
Annabeth and Dove grimaced. Just tutoring was difficult, especially when the tutoring consisted of ten demigods with ADHD.
Now if I knew anything about teaching, the main problem wasn't about keeping 40 or so kids of different ages to keep up with their grade levels, but rather it was having the kids pay attention.
Dove groaned. "Don't remind me." She muttered before leaning on Luna's shoulder. The silver-eyed girl glanced at the blonde out of the corner of her eye briefly before returning to the reading.
Athena glanced at the pink-eyed demigod, why did she seem familiar?
"Where's the action!" Ares demanded, Hephaestus and Aphrodite rolled their eyes, but the goddess of love smiled at the god of war and patted his hand slightly.
"You need to be a little patient." Aphrodite said with a small giggle.
Dove groaned again and the goddess turned to look at the blonde who was attempting to melt her face into Luna's arm, her cousin twitching in annoyance the entire time. Aphrodite looked at Dove in confusion, why did the girl seem embarrassed? Sure, she briefly thought that the blonde could be one of her daughters and that would explain it, but if she was right and Luna was Artemis' daughter, then Dove and Luna wouldn't be so close.
Aphrodite glanced briefly at the three hunters present. No, surely if Dove was her daughter, she and Luna (the goddess rolled her eyes at the name, it was a dead give away who's daughter she was- how could they not realize that the girl was Artemis') wouldn't be so close….right?
"We'll get to it if you let the boy read," Hera said tersely to Ares, who slumped into his seat, ignoring his mother's reprimanding look.
Just imagine a whole room of rowdy kids, most of them hyperactive at times, and you'll know what I mean.
"That poor woman," Katie winced. "I would never be able to do that."
"I can barely handle the ten I have to deal with at camp." Annabeth sighed, causing Athena to turn to look at the blonde with an analytical expression. "This lady must have a lot of patience."
Seth let a small sad smile appear on his face before continuing his reading, Ms. Lewinsky sure did.
Of course, with my ADHD problem, I wasn't exactly helpful in keeping the peace.
The demigods sent understanding looks Seth's way. Luna, Dove, Alessa, and Cassie noticed a slight sad note in Seth's voice and winced.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this.." Cassie thought sadly, a hollow feeling in her gut.
Luna closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. She may have found something about Seth that she could understand, though she wasn't sure it was right (or if she had the right) to try and attempt to connect with the older boy on this matter.
But despite all she had to deal with, she did, in fact, care about us.
Seth paused in his reading. He needed a minute to reign in his emotions- reliving all this? Well, it wasn't fun. It was a painful reminder of just how happy everyone was, how much Ms. Lewinsky cared about them, and how lively the kids were. Seth closed his eyes, his hand absentmindedly massaging his forehead, and not for the first time, he wondered why it had to happen to them.
"You okay?" A soft voice asked in front of Seth and his head snapped up in shock. He must be really out of it if he didn't hear anyone approach.
Dove was looking down at him with eyes full of concern. His facial expression must have revealed his surprise because a kind smile appeared on her face.
"I've learned a lot of cool tricks after interacting so much with your kind," Dove tried to joke but Seth bristled in response.
"My kind?" He asked defensively.
Dove held back a wince, perhaps not the best choice of words. Instead of trying to fix things and potentially make them worse, the blonde smiled apologetically and glanced around the room at the annoyed, concerned, or chatting deities and demigods before pointing at her ear.
"You know..." the blonde urged and Seth understood, she learned how to quiet her footsteps.
"I-I'm fine," Seth responded quickly, with a slight hitch of his breath. For some reason, he didn't like being around this girl.
"You wanna talk about it?" Dove asked with soft eyes and a tilt of her head.
"No," Seth answered immediately, trying to dismiss the girl but adding a quick, "thank you, but no," to make up for the rude response.
Dove let out a strained smile before nodding and returning to her seat.
"Anything?" Luna asked quietly.
Dove shot an annoyed look at Luna. "You're definitely related." Dove rolled her eyes as she looked away, muttering. "Vous me donnez tous mal à la tête."
Nicole, who sat next to Dove, heard the comment and snapped her head to the blonde so fast that it was hard for Aphrodite to not notice.
"Tu parles français?" Nicole whispered under her breath.
Dove regarded her curiously before nodding. "Oui."
Hearing the small exchange, the goddess of love's eyes widened and a confused look appeared on her face. Just because a demigod spoke French, it didn't mean they were one of hers, but she had a feeling about Dove (and not just because the girl was named after one of her sacred animals), and that just added to her confusion surrounding the question of why Dove and Luna were so close.
Should the two hate each other? Well, no they didn't have to hate each other (after all, Aphrodite and Artemis had to work together on some occasions) but it was baffling that they were so close.
Seth tried to block out the surrounding noise and returned to the reading.
She wasn't like one of those people who only did it for the pay.
Hestia nodded in approval while Hera and Demeter looked appalled at the book, Artemis scowled at the floor and Aphrodite sniffled teary-eyed. Mortals could be so full of greed at times, knowing that some mortals only keep children in their care because they were getting paid was appalling.
"Those poor children." Demeter said sadly.
Apollo grit his teeth before turning to Hades. "Uncle, I would appreciate it if you would send those mortals to the Fields."
Hades raised an eyebrow at his nephew. "My kingdom consists of multiple fields, I'm afraid you must specify."
The occupants of the room glared at the lord of the Underworld and Persephone put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Not the time for jokes, just make sure they're sent to the fields just outside Tartarus."
"Do people really do that?" Will asked his friends.
"I…I'm not sure," Katie responded in concern. She knew a cabin mate or two from foster care, but they never mentioned something like being used for money.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Percy growled with a glare. It wasn't his deluxe-I'll-kill-you-later-glare but it was borderline that territory.
Luna glowered at the floor, some people were disgusting, taking children into their home just to treat them like trash because they get paid for having them around. A burning sensation caused Luna to wrap an arm around her waist, the pain was probably all in her head, but her scar bugged her every time she had a thought about that damned pig.
She did it because she wanted to, and treated each of us as if we were all one big happy family.
The mood around the room lightened as several demigods smiled softly and Hestia, Hera, Demeter, and Artemis all nodded in approval.
She was the closest thing to a motherly figure that I have ever had, and as I reflect back to those wonderfully blessed times, she still was and always will be.
Luna seemed to take on a confused expression. What about their mother?
Armani could figure from Seth's actions that his relationship with their mother was maybe a bit rocky, but surely Mother didn't ignore the Auburn-haired teen. Was she not an active figure in his life?
Meanwhile, Luna was trying her best to look behind her friends to glance at the Auburn-haired teen in a mixture of concern and confusion. Did Seth and Mama not get along? Did Seth not consider Mama to be his mother? That last thought caused Luna to wince, a strange mix of guilt and sorrow bubbling in her chest.
She didn't expect all of them to have a perfect relationship with their mother. In fact, Luna doubted she could call her own relationship with Artemis perfect. At the very least, Luna expected them all to consider the huntress their mother.
It was a normal day in mid-December, a mix of pure snow and wet slush were being formed into big mounds as snow machines plowed their way into the ice. Tree branches surrounding the orphanage were caked with big fluffs of white, like frosting on a birthday cake. It was absolute silence, except the chattering that was getting louder by the minute as more people woke up. The air around me was crisp and cool as I sat on the partially snow-layered rooftop, taking in the scene around me.
(The camera turned so it showed younger Seth's back, a snow machine plowing the roads in the distance.)
December 21st, the 13th anniversary of my arrival to St. Clair's.
"You arrived on the winter solstice," Hera observed.
"So you were thirteen when you learned of your lineage," Athena mused. "Older than most."
"When do most demigods find out about their identity?" Armani asked in confusion.
"It depends, sometimes it differs due to parentage." The goddess of wisdom responded with a halfhearted look towards the caramel haired demigod. "But on average, the latest most demigods find out about their parentage is around twelve years old."
"Great." Percy grumbled in annoyance. "Right on the mark."
Annabeth laughed softly and nudged her boyfriend, causing him to smile back. The exchange caused smiles from their friends and a small sound of happiness from Aphrodite.
"Why does it matter how old the boy was when he discovered he was a demigod." Zeus grunted.
I couldn't believe how long I had been here. One minute I was helping Ms. Lewinsky with arts and crafts when I was 6, then I was 10, playing hide and seek in the woods with Mera and Shawn, and now I was back here, officially 13 years of age, maybe older.
(More small translucent scenes appeared over the shoulders of on screen Seth, this time showing his age progression from age 6 to 10 before disappearing.)
"You're good with children," Athena noticed before glancing at her half-sister.
Artemis was watching the image progression of Seth with rapt-attention and because they were sitting next to each other, the goddess of wisdom could see the huntress was biting the side of her thumb. Apparently, the Auburn-haired goddess had an idea of who Seth was.
"You look happy," Thalia noted when she saw six-year-old Seth holding up a picture of a tree with buttons for leaves before glancing at the eldest son of Artemis and internally wondering. "What happened?"
"Who won?" Hermes asked in a far too serious tone when the scene morphed to a ten year old Seth hiding behind a tree.
"Huh?" Seth blinked, puzzled by the strange question.
"Hide and Seek," the god of messengers clarified, looking at the demigod expectantly. "Who won?" Next to him, Apollo also appeared interested.
"Oh, um…" Seth faltered, trying hard to remember, but found that he couldn't. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember. It's been a while for me, but I think I usually win as the seeker?"
"Why does it matter who won?" Hephaestus asked with a sigh.
"It could give us a clue as to who his parent is," Poseidon informed as he tried to tie a hook onto a piece of fishing line.
Athena looked at the god of the sea with a slightly exaggerated look. "You figured that out on your own?"
The Earthshaker glared darkly back at the goddess of wisdom. "Shut it, owl head."
Athena glared right back at her uncle.
"Perhaps we should return to the reading before the two of you start fighting like an old married couple." Aphrodite said with a tense smile. She wanted to find out if Artemis really did finally have a demigod or not.
"We do not fight like an old married couple!" Poseidon denied venomously while Athena stared at the goddess of love in a mixture of indignation and horror.
"Either way," Hera began, "we should return to reading."
"Thank you," Seth thought, exasperated as Zeus nodded in agreement.
I was declared a teenager, which also meant I was stuck here permanently.
"I'm sure that's not the case," Hestia said hopefully. "There must be someone who would want to adopt a teenager."
"If only that were so, Lady Hestia," Seth said quietly, "but I'm afraid that, based on my personal experiences, I've yet to meet that someone."
"A mother's job isn't over just because her child becomes an adult," Hera pointed out.
"That's right," Alessa agreed, and added, "both my fiancé and my friend were adopted as teenagers."
'Though, perhaps Greyson isn't the best example since he was raised by his aunt,' Alessa considered.
"There's also the possibility that you would have been adopted with one of the other kids," Annabeth continued. "I'm sure some parents would have been interested in taking you in especially if you displayed such brotherly affection."
"Most of the adoptees wanted only one child," Seth muttered, "one that is young enough for them to raise and mold to their standards. Raising a child is expensive, after all." He regarded Alessa carefully, "It's nice to hear how your fiance and friend were adopted despite their age, but unfortunately, the same cannot be said for me."
Without waiting for a response, Seth returned to his reading.
It's not like I hated the place or anything, it was really great. During my years here, I met a lot of new people. Some of them became my friends, while others were just okay to be around with.
But one thing I really despised was what I called the cycle.
"The cycle?" Nico asked in confusion. Seth only glanced at him briefly before continuing.
The cycle revolved only around me. Being here for so long, it tends to drive me insane.
"You seem sane enough." Hermes blinked.
Since I was practically born in this place, I had seen new kids come in and others going out and never coming back.
(The translucent images morphed again, this time it showed Seth aging from a toddler to a teenager. The Seth in the small scenes was either greeting new arrivals of waving goodbye to kids as they left with their new parents)
"Oh," Hermes said hesitantly. "That's….that's actually really sad."
At first, I befriended a lot of these newcomers in order to help them feel more welcomed.
(The translucent scenes showed younger versions of Seth walking up to new arrivals with a friendly smile and at certain points laughing with them.)
"How wonderful," Hestia praised.
Demeter nodded with a soft look on her face. "That was sweet."
"That's kind of you," Will smiled.
Seth fidgeted under the praise, it wasn't really that big of a deal.
"What a kind soul," Persephone muttered.
'He must have been outgoing,' Athena observed. Completely different to how the Seth before them was now - withdrawn and rarely interacting unless it was demanded of him. 'I wonder why that is….'
"That's strange." Apollo whispered to Hermes. "He seemed closed off at dinner last night and breakfast this morning."
"Well, the story did say at first," Hermes pointed out, which Artemis overheard and couldn't help feeling concerned.
Too bad I never considered the consequences, because as I got closer to each of them, we eventually became acquaintances, and even the best of friends.
(A young Seth was seen playing with different kids, talking to them and laughing.)
"That explains it," Annabeth muttered. "That would hurt."
Percy winced in sympathy. He was forced to transfer schools after his expulsions, so he could understand how upsetting it was to make friends just to never speak to them again.
"That sucks," Thalia said to Seth, "it must have been hard to make friends after that."
"Yes," Seth admitted quietly, hoping no one heard him.
However, Armani, Artemis, and Luna all heard him. Luna and Armani sent Seth looks of concern, while the huntress removed her hand from her mouth and inclined her head slightly, regarding Seth with soft eyes.
"...You have friends now though," Luna asked in an attempt to reach out to her half-brother, "Right..?"
Seth sighed, he almost forgot that he wasn't the only one here with sharp hearing. He made a note to voice his thoughts internally before answering Luna.
"I do have friends," Seth answered, and the thought almost made him smile, but he kept his face blank. "They are...great people, and I enjoy their company immensely." His answer seemed to assuage his half-siblings and Artemis' worries.
"That's good," Theresa smiled. Seth only glanced away from her sheepishly, not used to the attention.
The thing was, these friendships never last.
(The young Seth was standing at the orphanage's foyer looking sadly at the door.)
That's what really sucked about living in an orphanage, you never knew when someone would get adopted.
(The translucent images showed different kids walking happily out of the orphanage with their new parents as Seth stood or sat on the steps in the foyer watching them go.)
"Makes sense," Clarisse nodded.
"Does knowing that they are happy help ease the pain?" Travis wondered.
"Probably not," Cassie mused. "It's great that others found homes, but I doubt it helped."
"If anything, it would make it worse," Ashlynn said in a depressed tone. "Seeing others being chosen over you."
Worried, Cassie turned away from Travis to see how Ashlynn was doing, only to accidentally meet Hera's eyes and avert her gaze quickly, resulting in the Queen narrowing her eyes in confusion.
"It was what it was," Seth mumbled.
They would end up all happy or tearful, promising their friends that they'd come visit again when they had the chance, but never actually keep that promise.
(The scene showed teenage Seth raise his head to look further out at the horizon as the translucent images over his shoulder showed different goodbyes from the newly adopted children. Younger Seth was either watching from the sidelines or being talked to by one of the adoptees.)
"This happened a lot?" Poseidon asked.
"Everytime," Seth said curtly.
"It happens a lot when kids move," Percy added, "always making promises that they don't keep."
"Even if they mean to keep them, sometimes the situation makes it difficult," Ashlynn added.
"Or their parents or guardians are overly controlling," Theresa scowled, causing the group to stare or blink at the girl in shock.
Nico and Hades, however, blinked in shock. Where had they seen that scowl before?
I kept hoping that it would be my turn someday.
(The scene above Seth's showed a younger Seth being introduced to different people of varying ages and ethnicities.)
"Seems like that never happened," Ares grunted.
Hera shot her son a scolding look as Aphrodite smacked the god of war on his shoulder.
"Have some tact at least," she hissed. "You don't need to be a jerk."
Seth clenched his jaw after hearing the goddess of love's remark. He didn't know how he should feel after hearing her defend him of all people. Will her sentiments change once she finds out who he really is? Seth couldn't help but wonder, and he was almost amused by the prospect.
"That seems obvious," Dionysus mumbled, flipping through another page.
All the demigods stared at their (former) camp director in disbelief while some deities regarded the youngest of the Twelve Olympians with some having raised eyebrows.
"You were paying attention?" Travis asked in shock.
Dionysus scoffed. "Of course not Trevor, whatever gave you that impression."
Armani rolled his eyes. That should have been expected.
That someday, I would also get adopted and move on in life.
"In a way…" Dove started with a thoughtful look, drawing everyone's attention to her. "..Well, in a way you did."
"W-wha-?" Seth blinked.
Dove's eyes widened and she looked around the room slightly, noticing everyone's attention on her. "A-ah…" She laughed nervously, reaching up and twirling a strand of hair. Did she say that outloud?
Hephaestus narrowed his eyes slightly as he regarded the blonde demigod across the room. Dove was fidgeting under everyone's gazes, alternating between twirling her hair and pushing loose strands behind her ear. The god of the forge glanced at his wife from the corner of his eye, Aphrodite was twirling locks of her (currently) curled hair in boredom.
Hephaestus rolled his eyes with an aggravated sigh and turned back to the blonde demigod, ignoring his wife's questioning gaze. Ares would draw Aphrodite's attention soon enough.
Dove cleared her throat. "Sorry, I was talking about the move on in life part. In a way you did, right?"
Clarisse sighed in annoyance before looking at Dove. "You're gonna have to specify what you mean there blondie."
Dove blinked blankly at Clarisse before a grin formed on her face. "Aww Clarisse, you're acting like the version of you from my time. How did you know your nickname for me was blondie?"
Clarisse just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"You should probably get back on track, Dove." Theresa reminded.
Dove nodded before sending an apologetic look towards a slightly annoyed Seth. "What I meant was in a way, going to camp and meeting your friends, or going on any quests that you could have been on, in a way you moved on in life."
Seth regarded Dove blankly, analyzing her face for a few seconds.
"You grew as a person." Dove continued softly, meeting Seth's eyes with dull pink. "Even if the reason for doing so was caused by pain and loss."
"How did you get all that from maybe half a chapter?" Connor breathed.
"Are any of us the same as before we learned we were demigods?" Annabeth asked rhetorically.
"That sounded oddly specific." Armani said skeptically.
"We all have our own scars, burdens, and demons." Nico mumbled. "But at the same time we've also all experienced loss. What Dove said is applicable to all of us."
The room was silent as the occupants stared at the goth demigod in shock, confusion or contemplation.
"That's…insightful for one so young." Hades blinked.
Nico just shrugged in response.
But the moment they heard about my disorder and reading problems, they would get all nervous and say something like, "I'll think about it." which pretty much meant no in my book.
(The scene showed the faceless adults suddenly taking on uneasy postures and sharing glances before turning to Mrs. Lewinsky and raising a hand with a nervous smile.)
What's worse, was that every time this happened, I would notice Ms. Lewinsky glance at me with those sorrow-filled eyes, making me feel even worse than I already was.
(The varying translucent images of Mrs. Lewinsky glanced at the aging versions of Seth sorrowfully, causing sad expressions to appear on the younger Seth's face.)
"It's not your fault that those adopters were close minded jerks." Percy huffed, crossing his arms.
"Yeah! You seem like a great kid!" Apollo called vehemently, agreeing with Percy.
"How many times did that happen?" Hestia asked.
"Sorry, but...I would rather not say," Seth answered, apologetic.
"That must mean it was quite often then," Hera sighed.
"Did having a disorder really matter so much to mortals?" Demeter asked, perturbed.
"Apparently," Zeus sighed in aggravation. Did everyone need to comment on every sentence?
Zeus glanced at his wife, Hera, who seemed to be more lenient with having the demigods present on Olympus then he would have thought.
"Why do we care about what matters to mortals when they decide to adopt a demigod?" Ares said angrily with a roll of his eyes. Honestly, they were GODS why did it matter to them?
As I sat on the rooftop contemplating the meaning of my pathetic existence, Lucy, a girl of seven years with blond pigtails and brown eyes, poked her head out from the side window, which was directly below me. She eventually looked up, and noticing me there, she smiled.
(The translucent images disappeared from Seth's shoulder as Seth sighed once more before the camera angled down to show Lucy poking her head out of the window and looking side to side before glancing up.)
Aphrodite squealed in delight. "She. Is. Adorable!"
"She is very cute," Katie smiled before getting a sad look on her face. "How long has she been in the orphanage at that point?"
Seth hesitated, "...a while."
"She must know you quite well if she knew you would be on the roof," Armani said quietly to Seth.
'I suppose she does," he murmured before returning to the story.
"Hey Seth," Lucy said, her breath changing to misty smoke as she spoke. "Breakfast is ready!"
I nodded, giving her a brief smile, as I climbed into the window after her.
(The camera followed Seth and Lucy down to the dining room where the rest of the kids gathered.)
Travis whistled in surprise. "Holy- that's a lot of kids."
Alessa looked over at the elder Stoll with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't you hear the part where it said Mrs. Lewinsky cooked up a forty-person breakfast?"
"W-well yeah," Travis replied defensively, "but hearing it and seeing it are two completely different things!"
"It's true." Nicole spoke up before collapsing into herself when everyone's gazes turned towards her. "Y-you can't really grasp the amount of work that she has to get done until after you've seen it."
Ares scoffed in response. "We can! We're GODS after all."
Most of the deities, except Zeus and Dionysus, rolled their eyes at the god of war. Zeus nodded along to his son's statement while Dionysus seemed to have fallen asleep in his seat, the magazine draped over his face.
"That's unnecessary." Hera said with a stern look at her son.
Aphrodite smacked Ares' shoulder gently. "Do you really need to do that?"
"Of course!" Ares said with an indigent look towards the goddess as Hephaestus rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. "Do you need to do that?"
Aphrodite stopped her response to Ares mid breath with a finger raised before turning to look at the god of the forge in confusion. After several millennia, her husband tended to ignore the playful banter between her and Ares, why was he now paying attention to it?
Breakfast was normal as always. Everyone gathered around the table, a few of them pushing and shoving to get the best parts of the meal.
(Laughter was heard through the speakers of the TVs as the occupants of the orphanage got different breakfast items on their plates.)
"Tis a lively bunch." Zoe noted with a strange look on her face. "I would have thought the atmosphere to be more…bleak."
"Why?" Apollo asked in confusion. "I mean it sucks that they're all orphans, but not every orphanage is like the one in Annie."
Zoe looked at the god in confusion. "I'm afraid I have no idea what that is, Lord Apollo."
Apollo gasped dramatically. "You don't know Annie!?"
Dove looked at the God of Poetry in unamusement with a raised eyebrow. "That movie doesn't release for another two years, how do you know it?"
Apollo turned to look at Dove in disbelief, pointing both of his pointer fingers at his face. "Umm hello? God of prophecy, here."
Ashlynn leaned across the couch using her left hand as a sort of barrier in a futile attempt to prevent the other occupants of the room from hearing her.
"Psst! Dee!" Ashlynn hissed. "Annie was originally a comic strip released in the 20's! The original movie was in black and white and released before the one we know!"
Dove's eyes widened in alarm before shooting to look at the deities in horror, how could she let information slip like that!
Athena was staring at Dove in disapproval. Sure, it was information about a trivial matter (entertainment news wasn't very important to them), but if the demigods weren't careful, they could reveal some information that wasn't so trivial.
Hermes looked thoughtful for a minute. "So Little Orphan Annie gets a movie reboot in two years."
"Does it really matter," Poseidon replied in disinterest.
Seth frowned briefly at the dismissive tone. Minor or not, it was usually the small details that people mistakenly disregarded that led to larger consequences. He learned that from personal experience.
When all the food was taken, and everyone arranged themselves into their little groups, I settled down at the far corner of the room, isolated from everyone else. I had learned first- hand not to get too close to anyone around here.
(The camera showed Seth as he glanced around the room at the different groups of children eating before walking towards a secluded area, grabbing an empty chair along the way.)
"So you were reclusive back then too, huh." Thalia tried to joke.
Seth just shrugged. "I mean, I was the oldest one there."
After a couple minutes of eating, I was just about to leave the kitchen when Ms. Lewinsky called me over, looking slightly troubled.
(The video showed Seth eating, before getting up to clean his dishes. As he was turned to leave a troubled Ms. Lewinsky entered the room with a hand on her chin. When the matron of the orphanage looked up and saw Seth, her face brightened slightly before she called him over.)
"Yes, Ms. Lewinsky?" I said politely, looking questionable.
"Seth, I was wondering if you could help me pick up the cake I ordered. With the winter holidays coming up, I'm really busy at the moment, and with new adopters arriving any minute…" she trailed off, unsure of what else to say.
"Why didn't she just have it delivered?" Ashlynn asked, confused.
"It was too far away for the bakery to deliver." Seth shrugged.
"But what about-?" Ashlynn continued before getting cut off by Alessa.
"I know what you're asking, but those delivery services weren't founded until the 2010's." Alessa reminded her kindly.
Ashlynn's face lit up in understanding and nodded.
"Postmates?" Travis asked, causing Ashlynn to nod.
"It's no problem at all. Where do you want me to pick it up?"
"It's a bakery store located in upstate New York."
"I thought the book said you're from Brooklyn?" Annabeth asked in confusion.
"I am," Seth nodded.
"Then why would Ms. Lewinsky have you go all the way upstate for a cake?" Cassie asked in confusion.
"You would need to cross through Manhattan and the Bronx." Luna added.
"It would make a little more sense if she had you go into Manhattan or Staten Island….." Percy mused.
"Or Queens." Alessa agreed. "Maybe Long Island if it's a really good bakery."
"Isn't Queens right next to Brooklyn?" Connor asked.
"It is." Luna nodded. "After Queens is Nassau County in Long Island."
Seth explained briskly. "The bakery had more reasonable...prices, compared to the ones located closer to us. Plus, the owner of the store was an acquaintance of my guardian...so, there was a discount included."
Seth returned to the story.
She took out a pen from her apron pocket, and started scribbling down the address. When she was done, she handed it to me, along with some cash.
"What's the money for? I thought you already pre-ordered."
"Oh, it's not for the cake," she dismissed. "Do you honestly expect me to allow you to walk for that many miles in the cold? It's for the bus fare."
"Considering how far you would have to walk, it only makes sense to take the bus," Thalia agreed.
Seth rolled his eyes at Thalia before returning to the story. Oh, was the daughter of Zeus gonna love this next part.
"But I can't spend this! With the orphanage poor enough as it is-!"
Thalia turned to look at Seth in disbelief. "Do you realize how long of a walk that would require? Hours, if not a full day."
"Hmm," Armani began. "I wouldn't take that long, maybe Seth is the same."
Hermes regarded Armani with interest. "Are you fast?"
Armani shrugged. "Depends on the situation."
The god of messengers regarded Armani carefully. "Could be one of mine." He mused under his breath.
"Seth Hunter," Ms. Lewinsky said sternly, "just take it. I rather you spend a few dollars than see you in bed with a fever! Now go, a cake can't deliver itself to our doors."
Hestia nodded in approval as Hera watched the video with interest.
"Smart woman," the Queen muttered, "very maternal."
Artemis started at the screen with rapt attention, internally nodding her head in agreement towards the mortal woman's actions.
She said all this in a hurry while pushing me towards the entrance, money and address in hand, and then she added, "be safe." I nodded absentmindedly, already heading towards the road that would eventually lead me into the city.
(The video showed Ms. Lewinsky as she pushed Seth out of the kitchen and into the foyer towards the front door. Seth was holding the address and money tightly in his right hand, still stuttering in protest. When the duo reached the entrance of the orphanage, Ms. Lewinsky passed Seth a jacket before she pulled open the door and nudged Seth outside. Ms. Lewinsky called out to Seth who nodded as he walked down the steps.)
If only I knew then how much those two simple words mattered.
"Well that ended ominously." Hades noted blandly.
"It was boring," Ares whined.
"Most first chapters are to help set up exposition," Athena informed with an exasperated look. "They hardly start with the action straight away. That would be the rising action or climax."
Ares just rolled his eyes in response, who cares about expo-whats-it or any of that boring stuff.
"I'm sure the action will start soon enough." Aphrodite said, placing a hand on Ares' shoulder trying to placate the god of war.
Hephaestus just grunted in annoyance.
"Sooo." Apollo called out. "Do we just continue on to the next chapter? Or?"
Zeus cleared his throat before addressing the occupants of the room. "We shall continue with the next chapter. Who will read next?"
A hesitant silence followed as a few demigods shared looks of uncertainty and the gods exchanged looks of boredom and expectation.
Zeus' eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Anyone?"
With a sigh, Katie raised her hand. "I'll read next."
The king of the gods nodded in satisfaction while Seth got off his seat and walked over to Katie, passing her the book.
When Seth sat back down, Katie looked towards the gods in uncertainty.
"You can go ahead and start reading, dear." Hestia smiled.
Katie smiled back at the goddess of the hearth before opening the book to the next chapter.